


Masquerade

by Baby_Fangirl



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ceve, F/F, The Librarians - Freeform, casseve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:34:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22542586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baby_Fangirl/pseuds/Baby_Fangirl
Summary: Slight AUThe Library is a secret organisation made up of many librarians and guardians devoted to retrieving artefacts and studying them whilst trying not to die. But for a librarian to go out into the world, they must first be tethered to a guardian.Three new recruits have an opportunity to impress the one guardian without a librarian, and Cassandra thinks she should be able to recognise them instantly, but there's a catch,it's a masquerade.
Relationships: Casseve - Relationship, Ceve - Relationship, Eve Baird/Cassandra Cillian
Comments: 1
Kudos: 26





	Masquerade

The library sends the invitations; it’s not always clear as to why; the existing librarians and guardians never know when to expect a new recruit on the doorstep; but the library has never been wrong before. The headquarters have been full yet quiet for months; librarians came and went with their tethered guardians by their sides. Most librarians spent a few weeks tracking artefacts; retrieving them, and examining their magical properties before handing them over to the library for safe-keeping and doing the whole thing over and over again. 

This was the way that the library had always worked; one librarian and one guardian tethered together in an unbreakable bond would do what the world needed them to do; and the more disruption that magic caused in the world, the more librarians and guardians that library paired together. 

So, it had been very unexpected, when amongst all the back and forth missions; three new recruits had been offered a place in the library. 

* * *

There had to be some sort of magic that came from twirling in front of the mirror, a charm of bravery perhaps that came from behind the glass and went hand in hand with smiling at a person that looked like you; and moved with the same excited flourishes.... but _that_ person looked like an angel. 

Cassandra span again with her arms elevated as she laughed ever so softly at the way the scarlet red fabric that once sailed by her ankles soared around her legs until she finally came to a stop, dizzy yet elated. 

The scarlet red dress was slim and hugged her body with the sweet tenderness of a ghost; it felt as though she was wearing rose petals with how soft the garment felt. The attire draped to the floor where her small heels just salvaged the hem from trailing on the tiles. Tiny sleeves braced her arms, just slipping off her shoulder, leaving enough bare porcelain skin of her collar bone for the golden pendant to hang delicately above the dip in her bodice. 

She had even tamed her usually wavy red tresses into a gorgeous waterfall braid; and Cassandra Cillian couldn’t help but feel beautiful. 

This was to be their first masquerade; an event set in place by the head librarian and Guardian as an annual ceremony to celebrate another year of keeping magic from running rampages throughout the world. Another year of peace; and Cassandra could dance to that tune. 

In all honesty, she couldn’t wait to become a _real_ librarian, and get out into the world and start helping people in the way she’d only heard about; she couldn’t wait to get close to magic, and bring back to the library her first artefact; unfortunately, librarians couldn’t do anything without a tethered guardian. 

That was another reason why tonight had to go perfect. 

This might be her chance to get a guardian. 

A knock sounded at her door, and Cillian was grateful that she had stopped twirling in the mirror, or might else have had trouble making it to the door. 

“Cass! Look at you!” Jake grinned in the doorway when the girl opened her door. He and Ezekiel were already fully dressed, masks and all. Stone was wearing all black, specifically tailored with fine silver embroidery across his shoulders. His mask covered down over his cheeks; but his eyes still shone warm as ever; no mask would ever disguise him. 

Ezekiel was wearing a lilac tux, and had clearly combed his hair, it made a dramatic difference. His domino mask was cream with lilac patterns swirling around the eyes. She had known Ezekiel Jones for a number of weeks, and had figured it was near impossible for him to scrub up this well. 

“You guys! You look so handsome!” the redhead softly beamed, as they gathered in the headquarters hallway. Over the past few weeks of being the only librarians without a guardian, the trio became instant friends, and helped each other around the library when Jenkins set them to do work. 

The thief scoffed teasingly, his dark eyes rolling behind his mask, “Uh, Cassie, ya forgettin’, I always look handsome,” with that, he tugged the lapels of his blazer with a confidence that Cassandra could only dream of owning. “Though this suit’s itchin’ in a place where the sun don’ shine,” he grimaced slightly, wriggling in his attire. 

“Ya ready?” the upgraded cowboy inquired with a kind grin, and Cillian paused a second, bouncing on her heels before darting back into her room and grabbing her mask off of her table. 

Hers was a lace columbina mask of ruby red with golden flowers stitched into the fabric, and she tied the ribbon behind her head with an elegant bow. “How’s this?” she asked almost fearful of the answer; but melted into an instant smile when Jake offered her his arm. 

“Beautiful, m’lady,”. She giggled softly and wrapped her arm around his, doing the same to Ezekiel on the other side as they made their way to the ballroom. “Ya nervous?” he asked as they walked, and Cassandra let a loose shrug roll from her shoulders. 

“A little,” she admitted. Not only was this her chance to find a guardian, but this was her first dance. Her high-school prom had been spent in a hospital ward trying to imagine what dress she would’ve worn, and who she would’ve gone with had her tumour not left her bed-bound. 

“Don’t be,” Stone confidently smiled before continuing, “Whoever the guardian is, they’re gonna pick me,” he teased playfully, nudging into Cassandra ever so lightly. 

Ezekiel paused for a half a second, “Huh? Don't get ya hopes up, big fella, once they see me on the dance floor, it’s game over for you two,” the boy declared, his accent thick on every word. 

“I say we have fun,” the redhead cut in before an argument (playful or not) could even begin to ensue between the two boys who retaliated off each other's arguments like a ping-pong ball. “This is our forever home, so don’t forget to make friends. The library will get us our guardians in times, let’s just enjoy tonight,” she beamed, glancing up between her best friends. 

Besides, the truth was, if anyone had the best chance of knowing who in that room the guardian was, it was Cassandra. Her photographic memory had memorised all of the faces at the committee for their introduction to the library, and almost all of the librarians and their tethered guardian had made the meeting, with the exception of those few who were in the middle of time sensitive missions. 

Whoever the guardian was, they had to be one of the only ones that Cassandra didn’t recognise, but that was the goal of a masquerade... she couldn’t recognise anyone. 

The doors to the ballroom opened inwards, and a sudden wave of delight crashed into the hallway, instantly sweeping the three librarians into its strong currents. And just like that, she had lost her two friends into a sea of masks and ballgowns, each no doubtedly trying to impress everyone that they thought could be a potential guardian. 

Cassandra floated by the stairs for a moment, watching as waiters passed her by carrying silver platters of thin champagne glasses, bubbles racing to the rim. Several couples stood around on the outskirts; some librarians colour co-ordinated their outfits with their guardians; while others danced in the centre of the room to the music that the orchestra played from the far corner; even they were in masks. 

From the far side of the room she could spot Judson and his Guardian Charlene in matching stormy grey attire; they looked amazing, and it was all thanks to them for putting this beautiful masquerade ball into action. 

_Make friends._ Cassandra chided softly to herself. _You’re wearing a mask... you can be anyone you want; you can be brave!_ And with that mentality; the woman in scarlet jumped into the deep end, holding her breath. 

Cillian had never known just how much she had been missing out having never been dancing before; the music stirred something alive in her soul, and suddenly, nothing else in the world seemed to matter, as long as her heels stepped in time with every rhythm. She’d even found Ezekiel lingering by the punch bowl, (apparently, he had thought that a masquerade would’ve had a bigger banquet other than tiny appetisers on tiny trays,) and had coaxed him to dance with her as well. 

Now, Cassandra was weaving around the dance floor, too caught up in the delight of the moment to remember about the guardian, when out of nowhere, her heel caught in the fabric of her dress as she stepped; and suddenly the floor was rapidly approaching, and all the redhead could do was brace herself for the impact. 

She had been bracing for the impact for about six seconds before the newly recruited librarian dared to open her eyes. The small redhead had been saved from her fall by a strong pair of sturdy hands which had caught one arm, and the small of her back; and those strong hands were connected to the most beautiful woman that Cassandra had ever seen. 

Stunning, wide blue eyes blinked at her from behind the small, white and silver mask that covered only a small portion of her face; her full lips slightly parted with concern. Her golden tresses had been curled softly and remained loose, hanging with expressive volume just above her shoulders. 

The strangers dress was just like crisp, white snow, with an intricate silver lace embroidery stitching stars into her skirts. It was completely sleeveless, and exposed her strong arms which were still holding up the redhead. 

“Are you okay?” the woman asked, carefully helping Cassandra back to her feet, clearly making sure to check the smaller of the two for any bruises or cuts; and finally satisfied with her deficient search; her cerulean gaze returned to Cillian’s. 

The redhead nodded carefully, “I- I’m fine. Thank you for saving my life!” Cass sighed breathlessly, a sweet grin painting back onto her lips. 

A warm chuckle escaped the stranger, sapphire blue eyes tinted with delectable humour, apparently, she thought that saving Cassandra from a date with the floor was hilarious. “I don’t think that your life was in peril; your image and your reputation perhaps, but not your life; I definitely wouldn’t have allowed that,”. Her voice was smooth and soft like velvet; Cillian knew in an instant that there was no way she had seen this enigma before, with or without the mask. 

Still, a heated blush crept into her cheeks at this woman’s choice of words. “I don’t recognise you,”, the librarian stated out of the blue; her eyes still trained on the ocean blue of the blonde-haired beauty; a real-life Cinderella. 

Another bubble of laughter escaped from her masked hero, and the pit of Cassandra’s stomach lit itself on fire. “That’s... kind of the whole idea of a masquerade,” the princess in white spoke with a smile. 

_Duh,_ she thought to herself, shaking her head to try and clear the confusion, lest the stranger end up thinking of her as the idiot who tried to play guess who with masks. “No, I mean you weren’t at the introduction committee when I first started six weeks ago,”. 

“Ah,” she nodded now, in understanding, “I was a bit busy tracking a feisty Earth giant in Morocco with Flynn; although I’m sure I would have much preferred to attend your meeting,” Cassandra couldn’t tell from the woman’s tone if that last line was meant to be sarcastic; but one thing she heard; the gorgeous blonde already had a librarian. 

Cillian played distractingly with the golden pendant around her neck, trying not to seem to disappointed. Still; this was the first person to actually speak to her this whole evening; and Cassie still wanted to make friends. “So... what’s it like? Being a guardian?” the redhead genuinely inquired. 

The blonde’s features shifted behind the mask, and she let out an exhausted whistle, “Hard; it’s so complicated to wind down at the end of a day; you’re always so busy thinking about someone else, making sure they’re safe, constantly,”. 

_Flynn’s a lucky guy,_ Cassandra thought to herself, wishing that she knew ow that felt. She couldn’t wait to tether to someone, and not just because she could then get a free pass to go artefact hunting; but to have that dynamics with a special person; and have such a personal relationship, would feel amazing. 

“It’s not easy,” The guardian continued, “Nicole fractured her ankle in Mount Fuji saving his life,”. 

Cillian winced ever so gently; she’d feel awful if anyone got hurt because of her, “It’s a dangerous job,” the red-haired girl whispered, almost feeling her heart leap summersaults when the other woman gifted her an easy smile yet again, 

“Better us than you, Librarian,” she laughed again, a soft sweet purr sounding in her throat. “Are you excited about your first official adventure when you tether?” the woman asked, watching Cassandra far too carefully. 

The girl nodded ecstatically anyway, it was the one thing that she didn’t have to think about, “Of course! I can’t wait to save the world... and get to see impossible things, and see all the magic up close; and even get to understand it enough to use it-” Cillian had barely finished the sentence when the lady in white shook her head determinedly. 

“We don’t use magic in the library, it’s forbidden... We dedicate our lives to containing and concealing magic from the rest of the world, there’s no telling what would happen if we tried to tackle those forces... we can’t fight fire with fire,” she explained, sounding as though she was reading more from a textbook than anything else. 

Regardless, Cassandra nodded yet again; she hadn’t fully come to grips with all of the rules yet, but she would. The disappointment must had showed on her flawless features, because shortly after the guardian had finished her speech, she rest her lithe fingertips on Cassie’s bare arm, the touch lingering for a matter of seconds. 

“I’m going to go get drinks, would you like one?” her tone is warm and inviting once more, and the librarian can’t help but grin. 

“Yes please,” it’s barely a whisper poised on the tip of her tongue, but the blonde smiled infectiously and nods before disappearing into the crowd to get them both beverages. 

Cassandra had been left alone for only twenty seconds before a sharp voice makes itself known from behind her, “You must be one of the lits, enjoying the party?” and the librarian span softly on her heel, coming face to face with another woman. She’s wearing a dark emerald silken dress with black gloves that mostly cover the tattoo that’s still stretching across her expanse of almond skin. 

Her mask is purely black with stylish feathers splayed from her headpiece. 

“I’m Lamia, guardian,” the dark-haired woman introduced, without so much as a handshake, fiddling with a golden ring that sits atop of her glove for no purpose other than dramatic effect. Guardian? _The guardian?_ Was this who she, Jake and Ezekiel were fighting over? 

“Sadly, I’m not _the_ guardian. Unfortunately, I’m already tethered with Edward Wilde,” Lamia waved her hand in any direction, neither of the women checked to see if that’s where Wilde really was. It took Cass a moment for her to realise that her question had actually slipped past her lips. 

“Oh... Well, I’m Cassandra, Librarian, and what’s a lit?” she responded in the same odd fashion in which Lamia had presented herself. The guardian didn’t really seem to care much about her name. 

“Lits?... Librarians in training? That’s what we call newbies like yourself, until they find a guardian.” she explained half-heartedly. “Jeez don’t they teach you anything?” Lamia muttered softly under her breath, shaking her head, “Anyway, I heard you were talking about magic,”. 

Busted already? Before she had even gotten out into the field? “Yeah, no, I know now, magic’s bad, don’t ever use it; don’t fight fire with fire,” Cillian recited quickly before the guardian could tell her off for talking about magic. 

Lamia rolled her dark eyes, pushing her mask up off her face, “Cut the crap, lit. See, I’m interested in bringing the Library out of the dark ages; it’s time to equip the library and its librarians to its modernised era, an era were magic can be used instead of just contained,” the guardian explained in a low voice, “If you’re interested, come find me,” a twisted smirk pulled onto the woman’s lips as she nodded. 

“I think if our new librarian needed advice, she would ask her own guardian,” the velvety smooth voice settled Cassandra’s nerves before the blonde had even come into view, and all of a sudden, the stranger is back at the redheads defence, holding two champagne glasses. 

“She’s not a librarian yet, Eve,” Lamia hissed sliding her mask back onto her face before disappearing into the crowd. 

_Eve._ So the beautiful snow queen had a name; and despite everything, Cassandra had a splitting grin on her countenance as she accepted the glass from the taller woman. “Thank you,” the redhead smiled brightly, taking a sip of the champagne, bursting bubbles on her tongue. “You know,” she began softly, “We’ve not been properly introduced. I'm-” 

“Charming,” In that singular second, Eve cut into her sentence with a smug grin and Cillian blushed yet again. She thought she was charming... “Do you want to dance?” the blonde asked sweetly after finishing the contents of her glass, holding out her hand to the woman in red. 

Cass couldn’t bring herself to hesitate, slipping her hand into Eve’s was a sensation that could only be described as right. Their fingers locked as the blonde led the to the floor where several other couples danced to the orchestra. And no sooner had Cillian paused; the guardian’s hand was on her waist, leading her in a series of simple steps. 

Her heart was flinging into her ribcage like a bird trying to soar; and it’s infuriating how quickly the mysterious blonde woman had Cassandra feeling like a girl and like a queen at the same time. 

“Where’s Flynn?” the redhead murmured; more as a reminder to herself that Eve was someone else's tether; and that she ought not to get too attached to the way that dancing with this enigma made her feel. 

She glanced around the room for a moment, before pointing out the man, who was also dancing, not too far away from them. He was dressed in a semi-casual brown suit, like he had to be teaching a class no sooner had the masquerade ended; but that’s not what held Cassandra’s attention. It's the fact that he was leading the dance, and another woman was following. 

She was angular and narrow, but poised and regal nonetheless, her hair was done up in a neat bun, and her pink dress floated around her like a cloud; her mask seemed to be made of cherry blossom. 

“Who’s that?” Cassandra asked, still moving in time with Eve and the music, suddenly yelping quietly when the blonde dipped her back, laughing when she pulled the librarian back up and into her arms. 

“That? That’s Nicole Noone, Flynn’s guardian,” she explained in a soft whisper, watching with curiosity as the redheads face contorted into a confused frown. 

“But... but I thought _you_ were Flynn's guardian?” Cass wondered aloud, as they span on the floor, red and white entwining like blood droplets on fresh laden snow. Their hands moulded to each-others bodies in an odd sense of perfection. 

Eve let a soft ‘oh’ dissipate on her lips, before shaking her head gently from side to side, “No, I was in Morocco as his acting Guardian when Niccole was in the infirmary, recovering from a fractured ankle; she’s his tethered guardian... I was just a substitute,” she explained cautiously, as if she was afraid that the mix-up might cost whatever relationship she’d just started building with Cassandra. 

“So...” the redhead paused momentarily, making sure she understood before starting again, “so... who’s your librarian?” Cillian dared to ask, hoping that her mask would hide the hope that was bubbling under the surface of her skin. 

Eve swallowed softly, “You, if you say yes,”. 

They stood in stillness together, immune to the infectious dance that kept on spiralling around them. “Me?” the redhead echoed in a state of disbelief. “You want to tether... to me?” as if the thought was unconceivable; Cassandra blinked, suddenly trying to think how Jake or Ezekiel screwed up, and not instead what she herself had done right. 

“Tethering is an unwavering bond between a Librarian and a Guardian; the tethering ceremony is a vow that you swear to each other; it won’t work if only one of us is willing to do it,” Eve whispered, softly urging Cassandra to give her an answer. 

Her sapphire blue eyes were round and yearning; and Cillian didn’t even know what she was waiting for. 

“Yes!” she exclaimed, bubbling with ecstasy. “Yes, yes, yes! I want to tether with you, Eve,” the redhead let go of the guardian’s hand, and cautiously reached to undo the string that was keeping her ruby red mask upon her countenance. 

It’s as if, with the removal of her face-piece, Cassandra felt bare, and vulnerable; exposing herself to her soon-to-be guardian; but it was who she was, all of who she was, and that’s what she was offering to the woman, not some pretty angel pretending to be brave. 

Before she even realised it; Eve had taken off her mask as well; smiling at the smaller of the two with a brilliant gleam in her ocean blue eyes. “So... would you...” the Guardian stopped; as if her tongue had used up all of its words. 

“Cassandra,” the librarian offered with a short burst of warm genuine laughter like syrup, “My name’s Cassandra Cillian,”. The redhaired girl blushed when the blonde took her hand and presented her with a small bow; at the same time as fifteen other Librarians and guardians bowed to their dance partners at the closing of the music. 

“So, let me try this again,” she stated gently, a permanent grin plastered to full, pink lips, “Would you, Cassandra Cillian, like to tether with me as your guardian, in service to the library?” she asked, practically holding her breath. Several people had stopped to stare at them; and even with several pairs of eyes trained on her, Cassandra couldn’t see anything other than Eve. 

“I would love to,”. The librarian had to try to keep the squeal of excitement out of her voice as she accepted. And just like that, Eve took hold of Cillian’s hand and forged a path between ball gowns and waiters, with the redhead right behind her. 

“Jenkins! We have a tethering ceremony to complete!” Eve called across to the man who had been quite content with sitting at the table, talking to nobody. It had taken only two minutes to find him. Jenkins was dressed in a golden suit with white trimmings and a white tie; his white mask had golden rams' horns and he looked quite the part in this masquerade ball. 

“Ah, Colonel Baird, you chose already?” the mask removed and Jenkins allowed a subtle grin to occupy his lips as both women sat down on the empty chairs at his table. “Ah, yes, Miss Cillian, I had a feeling,” he nodded somewhat approvingly. 

Cassandra liked Jenkins, perhaps it was because he had been the only other person that the three new recruits really got to see daily. He would meet them all in the clippings office and would spend the next few hours explaining this and that; and sending them all on small jobs for the _real_ librarians. But she didn’t mind; he was friendly, and always pleasant to talk to. 

“A feeling?” the girl piqued up with her own warm feeling stirring in her stomach. “W-what kind of feeling?”. 

A short and almost soundless chuckle resonated from the white-haired knight, “Such questions... you’ll have fun with her, Baird.” his smile grew a little more before glancing back towards the new librarian, “A feeling that, you would be a wonderful fit for our guardian, you both possess a... passion,” Jenkins waved his hand slightly trying to recall the right word. 

“So... tethering ceremony? I mean, we’re all dressed up and ready,” Eve softly prompted with an edging grin of her own as the old man forced an exaggerated and playful sigh. 

“Oh, alright, alright... Give me five minutes and I’ll meet you both at the top of the stairs,”. With that, Jenkins excused himself from the table and the party, and Cassandra couldn’t help but let the bubble of excitement grow inside of her. 

The tethering ceremony was beautiful, she had seen a recorded version of Darrington Dare’s tethering ceremony, and had accidentally learnt the vows off by heart after watching the video twelve times in a row. 

“How are you feeling, Librarian?” Eve softly squeezed her arm comfortingly and the redhead shook herself from her trance, realising that she was smiling like a crazy person. Colonel Baird laughed gently, her hand still in place of Cassandra’s arm, “It’s okay, you’re happy, I get it,”. 

“I just,” Cillian paused, a rush of emotions flying to her tongue, not knowing which to convey, “I really want this; I’ve never had much of a good relationship with anyone until I met Jake and Ezekiel. And all I really want is to belong; and to do something that makes a difference,” Cass admitted, before becoming oddly aware of how Eve was smiling at her. 

“I think maybe that’s why Jenkins thought we’d be good together,” the blonde nodded promptly, her hand slipping from Cassandra’s arm, and held it out for the girl to take, “Shall we?”. 

As soon as Jenkins was in place, the orchestra stopped playing, and instantly, librarians and guardians around the room recognised the setup, and flocked to the base of the stairs. From up high; Cassandra spotted Jake and Ezekiel at the front, masks removed and smiling brightly; it made her warm inside to know that even though they had been competing for the guardian, they were still happy she got one. 

Jenkins cleared his throat; not that he needed to, the room was silent, all in anticipation of the ceremony; after all, it was a big deal for everyone involved. “The library knows. It is a state of omniscience which can not be argued with. It knows how to survive; but more importantly, the library knows when a Librarian and a Guardian belong together,”. 

Cass felt flames in her fingertips, holding her breathe when Jenkins took her hand, and placed it with Eve’s before taking the fabric strip and securing it around their wrists. It was a symbol of unity; she knew that from her bountiful research after first hearing all about tethering. 

“There are duties, dangers and decisions which you will both face; you will act as the voice to the library; but only together will you amount to your successes.” Jenkins continued, before turning to the blonde, “Eve Baird; please recite the vows,”. 

In that moment, cerulean blue eyes fixed on the redhead, her smile was immaculate, and as she spoke, Cillian could practically feel the truth dripping from her lips. 

“Cassandra the Librarian, I tether to you, 

Our Life and death are one, we two, 

If wielding pen or wielding sword, 

To serve the library with you is its own reward. 

In dark, in flame, in war and strife, 

I save you as I save my life.” 

The promises come easily, but with each line, Cassandra can feel the weight of each on her shoulders. She didn’t underestimate the power of a magical binding, but she hadn’t expected to physically feel it. 

“Cassandra Cillian, if you may please recite your vows,”. 

The redhead paused, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. This was everything that she wanted, why was she taking so long in saying anything? Cassandra drew a deep breath, forcing her nerves down into her stomach. Her smile lit up her whole face before she began to speak. 

“Eve, the Guardian, I tether to you, 

Our Life and death are one, we two, 

If wielding pen, or wielding sword, 

To serve the library with you is its own reward 

In dark, in flame, in war and strife, 

I save you as I save my life.”. 

No sooner had the words been spoken; applause and cheer erupted from the crowd beneath them. A wolf-whistle sounded from somewhere, and instantly, Cassandra locked eyes with Ezekiel who was laughing in return. The orchestra had begun to play once more, and dancing resumed. Jenkins unbound their wrists from the cloth, and the redhead flung her arms around her guardian in an unorthodox embrace, but nonetheless, Eve returned the hug with the same wonderful energy. 

“I can’t believe it, I have a guardian!” Cassandra excitedly beamed once they broke apart, not really wanting for this feeling to ever go away. 

“Cassandra... my librarian... it has a ring to it,” Eve chuckled lightly, as they made their way down the staircase together, their arms linked together. “You look beautiful, by the way. Red is definitely your colour,”, the blonde spoke sweetly, and in an instant, the librarian blushed. Maybe it was good that red suited her; for her face had turned the same shade. 

She was about to return the compliment when a high-pitched beeping thwarted her efforts, “What is that?” Cassandra asked, and Eve mumbled something before hiking up her white skirts and pulled a phone out of a strap on her ankle. “You are super prepared...” the redhead muttered, never even thinking to bring her phone. 

“All the guardians keep in access to what’s happening around the world; it’s kind of our thing,” Eve glanced up from her screen with a charming grin, before reading the message, careful gaze studying the screen intently. “Oh, this should be interesting,”. 

Cass blinked, trying to glance over the taller woman’s shoulder, “What is it?”. 

“Poisonous toadstools are appearing all over Manhattan... so far there are four deaths and seventeen casualties. No identified sources as of yet, no suspects and only one frightened witness in Lenox Hill Hospital. Up for your first mission?” Baird arched a brow, baring a soft, yet warm smirk. 

“Of course!” Cillian beamed, “Let’s go!”. 

“Wait, don’t you want to change?” the Colonel paused, struck with shock and confusion when both women started marching in opposite directions, one to the dorms, the other to the back door. 

Cassandra shook her head, her red waves brushing past her shoulders, “People are dying! This can’t wait,”. Besides, she couldn’t wait a second longer; the librarian had been waiting for this moment for weeks. 

“Are you seriously suggesting we run around like this? We look like princesses!” Eve glanced down at her dress; she only wriggled into this because everyone else was making the effort, no doubt the second she got back into her room, she’d be in something more comfortable and appealing to her. She hadn’t planned on being in this attire longer than necessary. 

“Then it’s about time that princesses save the day. Are you with me Eve?” Cillian smiled softly at her guardian; her blue eyes practically sparkling as she held her hand out to the blonde. 

“Always,” she muttered, taking Cassandra’s hand in her own, and together, made their way to the back door to defeat some evil mushrooms, the first of many, many adventures. 


End file.
